The 1911 Pistol Pros & Cons: Is The 1911 Overrated or Underrated?
BY Herschel Smith
7 months ago
This is a fair assessment, and it all comes down to the user and what he wants. I’m willing to clean the gun so it works in order to get the awesome trigger pull and that tactile feel. Others may not be so willing.
But the best comment of the video is this: “If you’re an American and you don’t like 1911s, we can’t be friends.”
On September 25, 2023 at 11:58 pm, george 1 said:
No one can shoot a good example of a 1911 and not like them.
On September 26, 2023 at 7:57 am, Michael said:
After using the rattle trap 45’s from my old Arms room I can see why some feel poorly about them.
A pistol is a tool and a badge of status (officers and such). A quality tool is always better than a junk tool although perhaps both can do the job.
I think the man doing the work is often more important than the tool used.
On September 26, 2023 at 9:19 am, Latigo Morgan said:
@Michael – That’s why I was put off from them for several years, even though I qualified Expert with mine. Don’t know how I did, because I never drew it out of the arms room except for inspections and qualification. Even though I was authorized one (M60 Machinegunner), I never saw any reason to carry it around in the field as another piece of kit I’d have to worry about losing, and cleaning when we got back.
I was well into my 30’s before I got bit by the 1911 bug, as I was a single-action revolver shooter. I wish I’d gotten into them sooner.
On September 26, 2023 at 10:36 am, Dirk said:
I carried a Colt 70 series with Novak sights, for roughly 27 years. in fact Novak himself did my first sights, back in the day.
I recognized early on the Utility of his sights. Most of my 1911s to this day wear the Novaks.
Could have carried anything I wanted, I chose the 1911 never regretted it.
2nd choice was the Browning HP, I chose this tool for UC work.
These days it’s tricked out Glock 19’s and a tricked out Glock 43.
I choose these two as I mostly wear shorts a polo and crocs day in day out. The 1911 is just too much to pack around anymore. I do have an Officers model, it’s never not worked, however I have seen the Officers model take a shit on the firing line.
I agree professionally one can take the measure of a man by the tools he chooses. I see a fella with a 1911 in a high end holster carry two mags, I know this fella’s likely been around the block.
On the other hand,,,,I’ve seen men carrying 1911s, in Uncle Mikes nylon holsters, on a shit belt, and instantly know that cats an accident waiting to happen.
Regarding the man with the high end kit, it’s also how the man carry’s the rig, his head on a swivel,I pay attention to.
Good stuff.
Dirk
On September 26, 2023 at 11:00 am, Herschel Smith said:
Eh, some of us don’t like Kydex holsters very much. I’m in that group.
I have a very nice Cordura holster with a retention strap for my commander.
On September 26, 2023 at 12:02 pm, Latigo Morgan said:
The 1911 is the one pistol I can consistently shoot clays out of the sky with. The kids love it when I put on that show at our annual family Thanksgiving clay slaughter. It started when one Thanksgiving I yelled, “PULL!” and realized my shotgun was empty, so switched it to my left hand and drew my Springfield Loaded with my other and hit that sucker in the air to mine and everyone else’s amazement.
After that, I started practicing it and gaining consistency. The next year, a couple of my nephews were carrying 1911’s, but nobody else could hit the airborne clays. Funny thing is that I have to do it one-handed. If I try a two-handed grip, I can’t hit anything. You really just have to not think about it and just do it – that’s probably why the two-handed doesn’t work for me, because in taking that grip, I’m thinking too hard about it. I also haven’t been able to do it with the striker-fired XD45, or my CZ75 P01. Makes sense that the 1911 is the only one that I can use to do it, since it has been used to shoot down an enemy plane during WWII.
On September 26, 2023 at 4:38 pm, Quietus said:
I can’t disagree with much of anything in the vid. I have some time in on M1911s and have hands and arthritic fingers to show for it. I shot test-fire for one of the NW Arkansas semi-custom makers for 10.5 months for round count and was called off the bench occasionally to go outside after that, just like others inside who had done a year on test-fire being occasionally being asked to come outside to prove or disprove a particular problem.
My count was about 1800 guns, all but a handful being M1911s. 120k rounds during that time. It worked out to 700-800 rounds of .45ACP per day in a four-day week. Round count depended on how lucky you were at making test targets shipped with the gun, five rounds at 15 yards covered by a quarter.
I still have a personal 47(no-D) mag that has been rebuilt a couple times, it was my lucky mag, used in every suitable gun to make test targets. Figure it’s been used in upwards of 1200 guns.
I got into Glocks of most flavors for maybe fifteen years after leaving the M1911 shop. Nothing wrong with them. But watching some WW2 vids while on the treadmill, I had a hankering for a 5″ M1911. Been carrying it for several years.
Just recently I came on to a pre-series 70 LW Commander. Colt’s site says that S/N was shipped in 1947. That is possible. The gun had been Bubba’d, but not beyond repair. Been fitting and replacing parts, the gun runs well but there’s still more minor work to do.
As an old fart, I’ll likely stick with M1911s forever.
On September 27, 2023 at 1:10 pm, =TW= said:
Improvements to the 1911 by pioneering gunsmiths such as Swenson, Pachmayr, Clark and Hoag are now incorporated on pistols produced by various manufacturers. Prices and execution vary significantly.
Further refinements to suit the user can be had from certain gunmakers or supplied by custom gunsmiths. For some of us, the effort and expense will be justified.
His comment at the end was Pure Gold. I approve.
On September 27, 2023 at 1:38 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
Legendary Depression-era lawman Joaquin Jackson was once asked why he carried a 45; he replied memorably: “Because they don’t make a 46!”
On September 27, 2023 at 1:46 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
@ Quietus
Re: “As an old fart, I’ll likely stick with M1911s forever.”
Yeah, me too. I am of an age such that the men who taught me about responsible firearms use, hunting, camping and all the rest of it – were by and large veterans of WW2 or Korea. I’m so old that when I was a kid, there were still plenty of WW1 veterans still alive and kicking!
When it came to handguns, those men largely learned either on a revolver or a Colt M1911/1911A1 pistol. Their preferences were passed on to their pupils, us kids. And old habits die hard, right?
Even if I didn’t think so highly of the M1911, I would still take pleasure in handling and using one, because to do so reminds me of those now long-ago days with those men, one of whom was my now-deceased father. I will always count myself lucky to have been around those guys, and the lessons they imparted to me have lasted a lifetime.